The present invention relates generally to welding-type systems and, more particularly, to a system and method for tracking or identifying welding-type parameters for machine set up and workflow through a welding-type process. A plurality of components is provided that facilitate identifying and recording operational parameters and guiding an operator through a welding-type process.
Welding-type systems, such as welding systems, plasma cutting systems, induction heating systems, and the like, include a complex set of components. For example, welding systems often include a power source, a plurality of cables, and a welding gun or torch and may also include wire feeders, gas sources, and many other components. Likewise, plasma cutters typically include a power source, cutting torch, gas source, and a variety of cables that connect these components. Not only must such components be coupled together correctly to perform a welding-type process, operational settings, such as voltage, wire feed speed and the like, must be correctly selected for the particular welding-type process being performed and the workpiece on which the process is being performed. Accordingly, welding-type processes require skilled operators, often with years of experience.
However, when an operator has yet to gain the requisite experience or when a skilled operator is required to perform an unfamiliar process or use an unfamiliar welding-type system, proper selection and coupling of components and proper selection of operational parameters can be a difficult, if not daunting, task. Accordingly, in some cases record books or charts are used to record a listing of operational parameters for a given welding-type system when performing a particular welding-type process. The books or charts are sometimes associated with a particular welding-type system or, in some instances, operators use markers to write directly on the welding-type system. Accordingly, systems such as the Miller Mark VI available from Miller Electric Mfg. Co. have been developed that include an individual dry erase board that is attached to the welder. While such systems for recording operational parameters are useful, they do not aid in the proper identification and assembly of the individual components of the welding-type system and they require the operator to properly correlate the recorded operational parameters to specific user interface settings.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for tracking or identifying welding-type parameters and workflow through a welding-type process. Specifically, it would be desirable to have a system and method for directly identifying proper components, settings and workflow for a given welding-type process and for directly recording and correlating desired operational parameters for the welding-type process to specific user interface settings.